Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Hace dos años que estudio español con la misma profesora. - I have been studying Spanish with the same teacher for two years.

In this construction hacer is an impersonal time verb; it does not mean “to make.” When you say Hace dos años que + [present tense], you’re marking how long an action has been going on. So Hace dos años que estudio español literally means “It makes two years that I study Spanish,” i.e. “I have been studying Spanish for two years.”

Can I say Estudio español hace dos años instead?

Spanish usually prefers one of these two patterns:
• Hace dos años que estudio español…
• Estudio español desde hace dos años…
Dropping desde and placing hacer after the verb (as in Estudio español hace dos años) is heard in very casual speech but isn’t considered standard.

Why is estudio in the present tense rather than a perfect form like he estado estudiando?

With Hace…que Spanish uses the simple present to express an action that began in the past and continues now. It’s equivalent to English “I have been studying…,” even though Spanish doesn’t always need the present perfect progressive. You could say He estado estudiando español por dos años, but with Hace dos años que…, the present tense is correct and most idiomatic.

What other ways are there to say “I have been studying Spanish for two years with the same teacher”?

You have a couple of common alternatives:
• Llevo dos años estudiando español con la misma profesora.
• Estudio español desde hace dos años con la misma profesora.
Both mean exactly the same as Hace dos años que estudio español con la misma profesora.

Is Hace dos años que estudio español the same as Hace dos años, estudié español?

No.
– Hace dos años, estudié español (no que, past tense) means “Two years ago I studied Spanish” (and suggests you stopped).
– Hace dos años que estudio español uses present tense plus que, so it means “I’ve been studying Spanish for two years” (and you’re still studying).

Why do we say con la misma profesora instead of con mi misma profesora?

La misma profesora (“the same teacher”) identifies a person already known in context. Using mi misma profesora would awkwardly translate to “my identical teacher.” If you want to stress possession you’d say con mi profesora, but to stress continuity with the exact same person you say con la misma profesora.

Do I always need the word que after hace dos años?

Yes, if you stick to the Hace…que + [present tense] pattern. The que is the link between the time expression and the verb:
• Correct: Hace dos años que estudio español.
• Incorrect: Hace dos años estudio español.
If you drop que, you must switch to desde hace or another structure.

How would I express the same idea in the past, like “I had been studying Spanish for two years”?

You use the imperfect tense for both hacer and the verb:
• Hacía dos años que estudiaba español con la misma profesora = “I had been studying Spanish with the same teacher for two years.”